The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-24

Prodigal = means “waster” one who waste gifts and resources.

The first thing I want you to realize with this message today. This story is not just limited to:

· Young people

· People who are out of church

· People have left a church

Because any time you stray away from God to do your own thing, that’s when you are considered a “Prodigal Son”.

· Anytime you stray from church – You are a Prodigal

· Anytime you stray from Bible Study – You are a Prodigal

· Anytime you stray from your prayer life – You are a Prodigal

· Anytime you stray from Sunday School – You are a prodigal

· Anytime you stray from tithing – You are a prodigal

Because as a prodigal, you find yourself doing whatever pleases the flesh and not those things that pleases God.

There are a few things in this story that I would like to just highlight for you. My prayer is that you would see inside this son and view this story from behind his eyes, because as prodigals, we all do the same thing for the same reasons.

Setup Story:

younger brother gets upset (don’t know why)

He ask for his portion of his father’s goods

His father gives it to him

So what now?

1. What the Prodigal Figured –

Imagine with me if you will, you are this young boy.

Even though he seems to have everything he needs

· He is fed up with the way his life is going

· He doesn’t like the daily bible studies

· He is tired of doing daily chores

· He is fed up with living under a roof of rules to go by

· He is sick of being told what to do

· He is mad at something that was said

· He is livid at something that was done

We don’t know all the reasons for him leaving but we do know one important fact: Read v.13: He left and He partied!

What the prodigal figured:

· If I can get out of this house I can do my own thing

· When I leave, all I am going to do is party

· I want out of this house so I don’t have to go to church

· I am tired of praying before every meal

· My dad’s spiritual advice is getting on my nerves

· Once I am gone, I will no longer have to answer to anyone but myself

Isn’t that what we hear today:

“I want to Party” –

· The avg. college student consumes more than 34 gallons of alcoholic beverages a year.

· Beer consumption by college students is just short of 4 billion beers.

· The typical student spends more money on alcohol than on textbooks.

- All examples of prodigals who were ready to party

“I want to just be free”

Last month, 19-year old David Ludwig drove his 14-year old girlfriend back home at about 5:30am. He was waiting on the customary text message that would assure him that she had made it into her room without getting caught.

But he didn’t get the text message. He even sent her several text messages that were unanswered. Finally, he reaches her by phone. Here’s what she says: “I got caught and my parents want to see you”.

On November 13th, David Ludwig went to the house of Michael and Cathryn Borden were he murdered them in front of their children in their Pa. Home.

Ludwig waited on the 14-year old girlfriend and once she was in the car, they hit the road. She told lawyers that she wanted to “get away as far as possible” so they could get married.

Just like the prodigal, wanting to be free.

The prodigal figured:

“If I can just get away from it all then everything will be just fine”

2. What the Prodigal Forfeited -

This young boy traded in:

· The love of his Father {for} Loose Friendships

His father loved him so much that he let him go

· The daily feast {for} damaging Famine

v.14 – there arose a great famine

· A furnished life {for} simply, a Fight to stay alive

Based on his portion of the goods, his family was doing well. But

When the famine came, he “began to be in want”. (v.14)

3. What the Prodigal Found -

v.17 – He found “Himself” – and he didn’t like what he found.

Sitting in the pigpen, he found that:

He was Lonely –

· The money is gone and so are his party friends

· No family made it to the party of riotous living

· He’s all alone –

He was longing –

· For food – (to the point of eating what the pigs left)